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Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission
Two Pines Tract
Forest Management Plan
November 25, 2009
Prepared by:
Dan Scheffing, SCRF #1242, CPF #1072
SABINE & WATERS, INC.
Background
The Two Pines tract contains approximately 813 acres in two blocks bisected by Two
Pines Road. The property is in two distinct parcels. The northern parcel (Parcel I)
contains 266.78 acres and the southern parcel (Parcel II) contains 545.76 acres. It is
located along and east of Highway 17 in Charleston County 0.5 mi. south of
McClellanville, South Carolina. The tract was formerly owned by the International Paper
Company. Under their ownership the land was managed fairly intensively for loblolly
pine production. Two Pines is proximate to many tracts that are currently being managed
under conservation easements for traditional forestry and wildlife management, but is in
an area that is under increased development pressure. The tract is joined by Two Pines
Homeowners Association, private holdings and the Francis Marion National Forest
managed by the U. S. Forest Service. Its location relative to other conserved lands
enhances the opportunity to manage for the traditional wildland values of this part of
Coastal South Carolina.
The property is forested predominately in three basic types; upland pine plantation,
maritime forest, and pine – hardwood drains. The upland forest is predominately loblolly
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pine (Pinus taeda) plantation established after the devastation of Hurricane Hugo in 1989
The pine plantations probably supplanted longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) on much of the
upland acreage. The overstory is loblolly pine with scattered sweetgum (Liquidambar
styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra) and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) The understory
contains wax myrtle (Morella cerifera), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), holly (Illex
sp), gallberry (Illex coriacea), and wild grape (Vitis sp).
The southeastern portion of the property was probably maritime forest until conversion to
loblolly pine for wood production. This type of forest occurs close to the coast and is a
unique ecosystem reflecting the action of wind and salt spray. Remnants of the type exist
in the form of live oak (Quercus virginiana), cabbage palm, (Sabal palmetto), southern
red cedar (Juniperus silicicola), and magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) scattered among
the loblolly.
The pine-hardwood drains occur as narrow bands along low lying drains that run parallel
to the coast separating the higher pine areas. The pine hardwood drains areas contain a
scattered mix of loblolly (Pinus taeda), red maple (Acer rubrum), sweet gum, black gum,
and cypress (Taxodium distichum) in the overstory and wax myrtle, red bay, poison ivy
(Toxicodendron radicans) and fetterbush (Lyonia lucida) in the understory.
Two Pines well-developed 3 miles of road provide good access as well as fire control.
The boundary lines are fairly clear. There is adequate internal control for fires but no fire
lines exist along the boundary lines. It is important to establish fire control lines along
the boundaries to provide protection from fire as well as to manage prescribed fire on
Two Pines proper.
The climate of this area is typical of the coastal regions of South Carolina. The mild
subtropical climate remains relatively humid all year.
During the summer the
temperatures are typically in the upper 80’s to lower 90’s, occasionally reaching up into
the 100’s, with very high humidity. In the winter, the temperatures are in the 50’s,
dropping occasionally into the 20’s. Average annual rainfall for this area is 49 inches
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with most of the rain falling between May and September. The official hurricane season
is from June 1 to November 30. Although the occurrence of hurricanes is low the effects
are long lasting.
The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) has goals to manage
the property sustainably for recreation and promotion of traditional values. Timber
production, habitat and wildlife management, and recreation require the integration of a
number of natural resource management tools. One of these tools is the use of prescribed
fire. Fire is a natural part of the Southern Coastal Plain ecosystem. It occurred naturally
before habitation by man from lightning strikes, and many of the now endangered plant
and animal communities, such as the longleaf-wiregrass association, evolved with fire.
The exclusion of fire from the natural system is one of the reasons some of these
communities have declined. Reintroduction of longleaf pine on some of the upland acres
is a primary management goal for Two Pines.
Two Pines has been divided into ten (10) management stands. These are represented on
the timber stand map. A timber evaluation was performed on each of the stands to
identify the stand type, merchantable timber by species, product class and size, fire fuel
loading, nonmerchantable speciation, and general condition.
Stand boundaries were identified prior to inventory by using false color infrared aerial
photography and previous timber maps and plats provided by the owner. A field map
was drawn and labeled to show: stand boundaries, stand numbers and stand acreage. This
map was generated by digitizing the information from the photography and historical
maps into a GIS mapping system. The software used was ArcView.
The following features were digitized from the photos and maps and stored as different
map layers to allow for select combination outputs:

Forested stand boundaries

Primary and secondary roads
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
Property boundary lines

Endangered species locations

Fields and Impoundments
Conservation Easement
The property is under a conservation easement. The easement is held by The Nature
Conservancy. According to the easement, the property is a significant natural area that
qualifies as a “relatively natural habitat of fish, wildlife, plants and ecological
communities” as that phrase is used in P. L. 96-541, 26 USC 170(h)(4)(ii), as amended,
and in regulations promulgated thereunder; specifically, the Property contains loblolly
pine flatwoods and non-riverine wet hardwood forest and is habitat for native wildlife.
The purpose of this Conservation Easement is to ensure that the Property will be retained
forever predominantly in its natural, scenic condition; to protect enhance and restore
native plants, animals, or plant communities on the Property; to prevent any use of the
Property that will significantly impair or interfere with the conservation values of the
Property described herein while allowing the availability of the Property for use as a
public nature-based park for passive and active recreational uses compatible with
maintaining the conservation values of the Property and surrounding ecosystems.
The Property provides natural habitat including loblloy pine flatwoods and non- riverine
wet hardwood forest each supporting a variety of plant species including, but not limited
to: loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), wax myrtle
(Morella cerifera), gallberry (Ilex sp.), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), red maple
(Acer rubrum), swamp black gum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora), red bay (Persea
borbonia) and fetterbush (Lyonia lucida).
The Property provides significant wildlife habitat functions for neotropical migratory
songbirds, migratory waterfowl, wading birds, and diversity of game and non-game avian
species including, but not limited to: praire warbler (Dendroica discolor), painted bunting
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(Passerina crisis), Northern parula (Parula americana), wood duck (Aix sponsa), white
ibis (Eudocimus albus), American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and Northern bobwhite
(Colinus virginianus). The Property also provides habitat for numerous game and nongame mammals including, but not limited to: white–tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus),
raccoon (Procyon lotor), bobcat (Lynx rufus) and river otter (Lutra canadensis).
TIMBER HARVEST. By virtue of the Easement the owner shall have the right to
harvest timber from the Property for commercial purposes pursuant to a Forest
Management Plan, to be updated at least every ten (10) years, that is prepared by a
registered professional forester and approved by Holder and that is designed to insure the
maintenance and restoration of native timber and freshwater wetland communities while
protecting soil stability, water quality and other Conservation Values of the Property,
including without limitation, scenic, riparian and wildlife habitat values. The plan may
accommodate the growing of native tree species and may allow for prescribed burning.
Additionally, Owner shall have the right to harvest timber from the Property to establish
fire breaks. Any forestry or silvicultural practice shall conform to the most current Best
Management Practices established by the South Carolina Forestry Commission or
successor agency. Except as otherwise provided herein, in order to provide a vegetated
buffer along the major wetlands described on Exhibit C, all roads and property
boundaries, there shall be no clear cutting of timber within one hundred (100) feet of the
wetlands, roads and boundaries except when: i) such cutting is necessary to improve the
health of the timber (i.e. disease, invasive species, ecological management); ii) such
cutting is necessary to restore native forest types; or iii) such cutting is necessary to
remove timber for the purpose of salvaging timber after natural disasters such as
hurricanes, tornadoes, fires or floods, or to provide for safety for humans.
The easement is a legally binding document and is made part of this Forest Management
Plan.
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Timber Resource and Management
The forests of Two Pines II reflect the devastation of Hurricane Hugo in that most of the
trees are less than 30 years old. The timber on the block south of Two Pines Road was
harvested prior to Hurricane Hugo and regenerated naturally. The successful results of
those efforts are the stands that are on site today. Of the 813 acres, 642 are upland pine
and pine hardwood and 163 are in a pine – hardwood bay type, the remaining 8 acres are
in roads, logging decks or ponds.
The upland pine stands range in age from 7 years to 25 years. The predominant species is
loblolly pine, and sweetgum in the overstory. Wax myrtle, red maple and fedderbush are
the dominate shrubs in the understory. Also found in scattered locations are gallberry
(Ilex coriacea), broomsedge (Andropogon sp) and oaks (Quercus sp).
The southeastern portion of the property has indications of being a maritime forest until
conversion to loblolly pine for wood production. The predominate specie here is loblolly
pine with scattered clumps or pockets of live oak (Quercus virginiana), cabbage palm,
(Sabal palmetto), southern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola), and magnolia (Magnolia
grandiflora) in the overstory and wax myrtle, red bay (Persea borbonia), and yaupon
(Ilex vomitoria) in the understory.
The pine – hardwood drains contain loblolly pine, cypress, red maple and gums (Nyssa
sp) mixed in the overstory. The understory consists of evergreen shrubs including redbay
(Persea borbonia), wax myrtle and fetterbush (Lyonia lucida). These ericaceous shrubs
form root mats in this landscape and soil type and will burn particularly hot should fire be
introduced into the stand.
On the northern block, most of the merchantable upland pine stands have been thinned
recently. The thinning was mechanical, removing rows/corridors with some selection in
between resulting in current basal areas ranging from 50 to 70.
The thinnings were
managed well with minimal damage to residual trees.
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The reestablishment of longleaf pine habitat at Two Pines is one of the key components
of the forest management plan. Ecologists have listed longleaf pine as one of the most
seriously endangered ecosystems in the country. One of the reasons the ecosystem has
become endangered is because longleaf and the species associated with it are dependent
on fire. As population growth and expansion occurs, smoke from the required fires
becomes a serious liability. Smoke management guidelines allow for fires to occur, but
as urban areas encroach, liability issues increase the potential for lawsuits. The proximity
of the Francis Marion as well as other conservation managed lands means that the
continued use of prescribed fire will be maintained.
Longleaf may be re-established gradually by incorporating the planting of longleaf
beneath the thinned loblolly stands. The existing stand is thinned and openings within
the stand are created. These openings are prepared and planted with longleaf seedlings.
With each thinning more longleaf are planted. This approach, first developed by Herbert
Stoddard and refined by Leon Neel, involves the gradual re-introduction of longleaf that
more nearly mirrors the uneven aged result that is found in natural systems.
Fire
As mentioned above, fire is an important component of the timber and wildlife
management of Two Pines.
After establishment of fire lines along the property
boundaries, the forest should be burned approximately every three years. A schedule of
burning will outlined in the recommendations section of this Plan. Smoke management is
a critical issue and fire burn plans should be prepared for each stand that detail the tons of
fuel expected to be consumed, the wind directions and other pertinent details required to
control the fire and smoke. As the stands are removed from a fire hazard condition,
spring and summer burns should be initiated in some areas to help control competing
vegetation and restore the native grasses and herbs that are dependent on growing season
burns. The amount of smoke generated and the proximity to smoke sensitive areas will
require that the burns be performed over several burn days.
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Optimal burning conditions generally occur during the winter season, December to
March, as winds, humidity and temperatures are more predictable and consistent. Spring
and summer burns are often used to control more fire resistant vegetation.
Relatively cool fires should be used when possible to provide a mosaic of burned and
unburned areas, which is beneficial to wildlife. If hot fires are used, rings should be
cleared around blocks of 10 acres or more to protect nesting and brood rearing habitat.
Log deck debris and brush piles should not be burned, as they provide excellent cover
habitat. Also, snags should be protected from burning whenever possible because of their
value to cavity-nesting species.
Wetlands
The wetland on Two Pines are drains that contain a mix of pond pine, loblolly pine and
various species of hardwood. These drains run parallel to the coast and separate the drier
upland areas and may be considered jurisdictional wetlands by the USACE. There are
also a number of gum ponds. These concave areas tend to hold standing water for longer
periods than the drains, but typically dry down during the summer months. These
isolated wetlands are generally considered non-jurisdictional by the USACE.
Protection of jurisdictional wetlands, the drains, is under the purview of the federal
government. This responsibility falls on the USACE. The non-jurisdictional wetlands
are not protected by the federal government, but rather by the state government.
Commercial forestry operations are granted special exemptions in the Clean Water Act
Section 404, for impacting wetlands as long as the activities conform to the South
Carolina Best Management Practices for Forestry. A copy of these regulations and
exemptions are found in the Background Section of this timber management plan.
Forested wetlands are important for many species of fauna.
They provide water,
breeding habitat for herptifauna, and are a key element of diversity in coastal habitats.
Additionally, many rare species of flora may be found in forested wetland types.
CCPRC Two Pines
Endangered Species
Two Pines is located in a landscape position that is rich in native habitats and species.
The close proximity of the Francis Marion National Forest and large contiguous acreages
of property that are protected by conservation easements creates a superior habitat for
wildlife including many endangered species.
The list of the endangered species found in this area of Charleston County are included in
this plan and are more fully discussed in the Protected Species Section.. There are no
known endangered species on Two Pines at this time. The desired movement toward
recreation, longer rotation timber management and regular prescribed burning certainly
will create conditions that may attract some of these species.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers are currently thriving nearby in the National Forest and
could be expected to move into the tract when conditions are correct. They nest in living
pine trees. Usually these trees are at least 60 to 70 years old. Longleaf pine is the
preferred species, but they are known to nest in loblolly pine, pond pine and even some
hardwoods on occasion. They drill a cavity in the living tree and chip away the bark
around the cavity to promote sap flow. This activity is thought to be a protection against
predators that would enter the cavity. Rat snakes and flying squirrels are the two primary
predators.
Wildlife Management
Wildlife management recommendations focus on several key objectives. Of primary
importance is development of a wildlife management program that is focused on native
species. This includes the local and migratory waterfowl and songbirds, game species,
such as wild turkey, bobwhite quail, and whitetail deer.
One of the primary goals of the timber cutting and burning schedule is to manipulate the
forested acres of Two Pines into a mixed upland pine, emphasizing longleaf, and wetland
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hardwood system that should provide the necessary food cover and nesting requirements
for most native and migratory wildlife. Once the timber has been selectively cut to
achieve stocking and speciation objectives, burning should be continued as the tool of
maintenance and habitat development.
Game Birds
Bobwhite quail and wild turkey will benefit greatly from a consistent and planned
burning regime. An open stand of pines (preferably longleaf) with a few mast producing
hardwoods, a very sparse midstory of fruit-producing trees, and a patchy and brushy
herbaceous layer is the best forest stand for quail. A very similar stand type works well
for turkeys.
Once management goals have been achieved, Two Pines should be able to support
approximately one wild turkey per 20 to 30 acres. As habitat requirements have been
met, the remaining major deterrent to increases in population levels may be nest
predation by foxes, raccoons, and feral hogs. If this becomes a problem, a trapping effort
may be beneficial.
Turkeys will feed heavily in the spring and summer in fields or forest openings that have
been planted in supplemental foods. During the fall and winter, turkeys will increase
their use of the forested cover and decrease the use of open areas. Hardwood stands
containing a diversity of mast-producing trees interspersed with pines and field edges
should be retained.
Quail prefer cover types that are relatively dense above ground, but open at ground level
to allow them to easily move about without flying. Disking of strips in openings that are
adjacent to open mature pine stands in the winter and spring can be a great benefit to
quail production. Disking in winter produces heavy-seeded foods such as ragweed and
partridge pea. Disking in April results in important seed producing grasses, such as panic
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grasses, being favored. Disking in June can result in an abundance of green vegetation
that attracts insects that the birds may feed upon.
Neotropical Migratory Songbirds (NTMB)
Neotropical migratory songbirds find the edges of woodlands and scrub-shrub an
extremely important habitat. These areas probably support the vast majority of breeding
pairs. Roads, log decks and fields may be used to develop edge habitat for the early
successional species which neotropical songbirds favor as habitat.
Generally, the ideal early successional stage for NTMB’s is age four to seven years. This
stage provides the stand structural diversity and large amounts of fleshy fruits that
NTMB’s favor. The openings should be managed, along with the plantings for game
birds, to provide a continuous availability of these age stands. As the openings ages
beyond seven years, they should be disked and converted back to “new” fallow fields.
Therefore, one seventh of the fields set aside for NTMB management should be disked
every year.
Background information is provided in the sections of this report following this overview
that describes many of the timber and wildlife requirements and techniques for
management.
Drainage
The topography is typical of the coastal plain. No abrupt changes in elevation are
present. A number of historical ditches traverse the property. These ditches have been
maintained and are used to facilitate the removal of storm water from the roads and low
lying areas. This ditch system is critical in allowing the excess surface water to move off
site and should be maintained in its current status.
CCPRC Two Pines
The existing ditches may be maintained to their original depth and width configuration.
Spoil from the maintenance activities should be placed on one side of the ditch and
intermittent cuts should be placed through the spoil pile to facilitate water movement.
New minor drainage ditches may be constructed to temporarily remove surface water
during harvest, site preparation, and early regeneration establishment in the lower-lying
areas. Both maintenance and temporary minor drainage ditches should be constructed
under the guidelines of the South Carolina Best Management Practices for Forestry, a
copy of which is attached to this management plan.
Soils
Four (4) soil types are found on Two Pines. They are mapped and identified on the Soils
Map found in this Plan. Most of the area is classed as Seewee (58%) and Rutledge (39%)
with small inclusions of Chipley (3%) and a very small tidal marsh in the southeast
corner of the property. All of these are classed as hydric soils by the USDA. Hydric
soils are those soils that are exposed to a high water table during the growing season.
The site index, which is a measure of potential productivity for timber averages around
85 for the majority of soils. The site index references how tall the indicator species, in
this case loblolly pine, would be at age 50. A site index of 85 is excellent and indicates
the area will be a productive timber site.
This timber management plan has been developed to describe the current conditions on
Two Pines as well as present a management vision and set of prescriptions to help
achieve this goal. Stand descriptions follow with management recommendations. A
section on background information more fully describes some of the common
management techniques applied in the forest and wildlife plan.
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Stands
Parcel I
Stand 1: Planted loblolly pine - 78 acres
This stand is located along the eastern boundary where the entrance road terminates. It
was a maritime forest as evidenced by the presence of live oak and sable palm. The stand
was converted to loblolly pine and the current stand was established around 2000. The
stand is young and doing well with a basal area (BA) of 90 square feet and an average
diameter (DBH) of 6.5. As the stand ages and thinnings are conducted, efforts may be
made to create openings around the clumps of live oak , cedar and sabal palm to maintain
and promote their development.
Controlled fire should be used in this stand post
thinning.
Stand 2: Planted loblolly pine – 164 acres
Stand 2 is located along and on both sides of the north entrance road. The stand was
established on beds about 1984. The stand has been thinned. Growth is good. The
current BA is 87 square feet and the current average DBH measures 10”. The stand has
remnant areas of shallow drains running through it that were probably hardwood
flatwoods but were converted to loblolly. As the stand is thinned, it is recommended that
much of the pine be removed from these remnant drains allowing them to return to there
natural speciation. The stand should be burned under prescription. Prescribed burning
will mimic the natural fire regime that was found in this system prior to conversion.
Firelines need to be established prior to burning.
Stand 3: Planted loblolly pine – 7 acres
This stand is located adjacent to Hwy 17 at the north entrance road. The stand is young
and doing well. This stand should be protected from fire until the trees are tall enough to
withstand the heat.
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Parcel II
Stand 4: Loblolly pine – 55 acres
Stand 4 lies along and east of the south entrance road. The pine plantations on this parcel
appear to be of seed tree origin. This stand has not been thinned. The current DBH
averages 7.8” and it has a BA of 95 square feet. This stand should be thinned as soon as
practical. The trees are crowded and thinning will maintain good growth and serve to
reduce fire danger. The thinning should be designed to remove poorly formed trees and
result in a residual BA of 60 –70 square feet. The stand should be burned under
prescription post thinning.
Stand 5: Loblolly pine – 67 acres
Also located along the south entrance road, this loblolly stand needs thinning as well.
The current basal area is 130 square feet and the average diameter is 8.9”. Like Stand 4
the BA ought to be reduced to around 70 square feet in this stand. Efforts should be
made to avoid thinning “mechanically”, that is removing trees to achieve exact spacing.
Final spacing should be secondary to removing formed or diseased trees. Prescribed
burning should be conducted on this stand post thinning as well.
Stand 6: Loblolly pine – 124 acres
East of Stand 8 and bisected by the south entrance road and the cross road that runs from
the east boundary (along Two Pines road) to the west boundary, this stand may be the be
best location to begin the re-conversion process to longleaf pine. With a current BA of
100 square feet and an average diameter of 8.9” it is in need of thinning. When the
thinning is designed small openings can be created that can be planted with longleaf. The
openings should be located on the most suitable soils and care should be taken to ensure
that competing shrubs are managed prior to planting. Up to 20% of the area (22 acres)
can be treated this way. The openings should be approximately .5 acre in size. Larger
openings will not have the fuel necessary to maintain the frequent fires necessary to
maintain longleaf. Post thinning the stand should be burned then the longleaf planted in
the numerous small openings. This approach more nearly mimics the natural stand
dynamic that occurs in longleaf systems. Additional thinning should be considered as
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growth dictates. Each thinning will result in more area being converted to longleaf. The
small openings under the more open stand will allow the longleaf to progress. Both
species respond well to prescribed burning. The loblolly overstory can be removed in
stages over time allowing a resulting uneven aged longleaf stand.
Stand 7: Loblolly pine – 187 acres
This stand is west of and along the south entrance road. The current BA is 140 square
feet with an average DBH of 8.4”.
The stand should be thinned at the earliest
opportunity. Prescribed fire should be introduced post thinning. The southern end of this
may be part of the conversion process to longleaf discussed under Stand 6.
Stand 8: Pine-hardwood drains – 46 acres
This stand is a series of drains that exists on both Parcels. The conversion to loblolly
pine left this remnant intact. The stand should be monitored for health but allowed to
continue it’s current development. As adjacent stands are thinned, some pine may be
harvest from the stand if it can be accomplished without soil damage.
Stand 9: Salt Marsh – 5 acres
Stand 9 is in the southeast corner of Parcel I. It is small and includes a buffer area around
the actual marsh. The buffer is composed of loblolly pine, sabal palm and live oak and is
maritime in nature. The area should be monitored for health and allowed to progress
towards it’s former maritime condition.
Stand 10: Loblolly pine – 46 acres
This stand is located in the far southern portion of Parcel II. It was a maritime forest, as
evidenced by the presence of live oak and sable palm, that was converted to loblolly pine.
The stand may be thinned with the designed result being a reconversion to a maritime
condition. Small openings should be created around the clumps of live oak and sabal
palm. The stand may be burned under cool conditions to promote the transition. The
stand currently carries a BA of 100 square feet with an average DBH of 9”.
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Longleaf Establishment
A gradual move to establish longleaf pine on the appropriate areas within the planted
loblolly stands is a goal for this property. That may be accomplished by creating small,
well distributed openings when thinning the loblolly and planting longleaf within these
canopy openings. The openings should be kept small, approximately .5 acre in size, so
that the use of frequent prescribed fire may be easily maintained.
Approximately 15 – 20% of the stand acreage may be converted at each thinning by
using this method. Care should be taken to correctly prepare the site prior to planting.
Longleaf requires an adequate planting site that is relatively competition free in order to
establish itself.
That may require the use of herbicide to reduce or eliminate the
herbaceous component. All use of herbicide should be in strict compliance with label
recommendations and applied by a licensed and certified applicator. Fire is a critical
component of this approach and the stands should be burned regularly under prescription.
The location of the stands designated for conversion is important as fire is a necessary
component of the process. The areas should be a minimum of 1000’ from Hwy 17 to
manage smoke during prescribed burns.
Trails
Trails may be established during the thinning process and as a part of the fire break
system. As the cultural work is being done opportunities to incorporate trails for the long
term ought to be identified. The trails would later be used for hiking or biking and
continue to be used for fire control and access. The conceptual trails plan is included as a
part of this Plan.
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